Real estate agent Joh Bauch is confident he can get hundreds – if not thousands – of signatures calling on Wyndham council to reverse its decision to introduce ticket machines at the yet-to-be constructed Cherry Street carpark.
Star Weekly reported in August that paid parking was on the cards for Werribee’s CBD.
The council’s concept drawings for the new carpark, which is scheduled to open in early 2016, clearly show ticket machines.
Mr Bauch has accused the council of hitting ratepayers with a double whammy by wasting their money in grossly overpaying for the three parcels of land that will be used for the carpark, and then slugging them with parking fees.
The council reportedly purchased the former Hyundai site for $4.8 million last December, along with the two adjoining lots totalling $1 million. Adding construction costs of $1.6 million means each parking spot will cost about $50,000.
“I work in real estate and I think the council paid up to double what they should have paid for that land,” Mr Bauch said. “They’re buying property for more than what they should be paying out of our ratepayers’ money, and they want to charge us for parking.
“One of those houses was on a small lot and sold for $600,000. Where in Werribee do you buy a house for $600,000, when you’re just going to knock it down?
“People are furious … no one wants to pay for parking when they can go to Pacific Werribee for free, and that punishes the small businesses on Watton Street.”
Multi-storey carpark
Wyndham chief executive Kelly Grigsby previously told Star Weekly that the Cherry Street carpark would ultimately become multi-storey, but she would not say if paid parking would be extended.
A Star Weekly report revealed the council has slugged drivers more than $1.1 million in parking fines in the past year – nearly double that of the previous 12 months.
Since February, the council has also had a moratorium on new business parking permits in the Werribee CBD, meaning employees without permits must move their cars every couple of hours.
